Egypt on alert as protestors attack Israel embassy

Egypt declared a state of high alert Saturday as police clashed with protesters who raided a building housing the Israeli embassy in Cairo, prompting Washington to call for protection of the mission.

Hundreds of Egyptian soldiers backed by armoured cars were rushed to the embassy district after US President President Barack Obama called on Egypt to protect the Israeli embassy.

During the violence, in which one person died of a heart attack and 448 people were injured according to state television, protesters torched police trucks and attacked regional police headquarters nearby.

Earlier protesters dumped thousands of Israeli embassy documents from the building housing the mission after they took down its flag and threw it to the crowd.